Full PreFrontal: Exposing the Mysteries of Executive Function

Send us a textThe name Shepherd Ivory Franz won’t ring a bell for many, but he is a notable individual in the arena that is now known as neuropsychiatry and neuropsychology. Close to 100 years ago, he was testing the ability to relearn after performing an ablative brain surgery on cats that he had initially “taught”. This type of work and eventual application to the veterans who survived brain trauma provided Franz with early insights into neuroplasticity, which is the foundation of the current approach to cognitive retraining.On this episode, Rick Parente, Emeritus Professor at Towson University in Baltimore and a celebrated expert in the field of cognitive retraining will discuss how targeted and specific interventions after a traumatic brain injury are more effective than comprehensive, but non-targeted ones. Because finding ways to help people to learn, remember, and think is as much an art as science, this discussion will lead us all to deploy careful scrutiny when assessing symptom presentation, functional needs, and perceived limitations of the brain.About Rick Parente, Ph.D.Rick Parente is an Emeritus Professor at Towson Univeristy in Baltimore.  He teaches courses on Neuropsychological Assessment and NeuroRehabilitation.  He has published over 75 journal articles and three books on NeuroRehabilitation. He is a Licensed Psychologist and Certified Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapist.BooksRetraining Cognition: Techniques and ApplicationsAbout Host, Sucheta KamathSucheta Kamath, is an award-winning speech-language pathologist, a TEDx speaker, a celebrated community leader, and the founder and CEO of ExQ®. As an EdTech entrepreneur, Sucheta has designed ExQ's personalized digital learning curriculum/tool that empowers middle and high school students to develop self-awareness and strategic thinking skills through the mastery of Executive Function and social-emotional competence.Support the show

Send us a text“Executive Function refers to your choreographed ability to make yourself DO and take actions using the capacity and vision for self to yield outcomes that are socially-emotionally desirable, future centered and appropriate for personal advancement.” - Sucheta KamathAfter a year and half interviewing the world’s leading authorities, researchers and educators Sucheta brings her own expertise in helping people master their own Executive Function to the table as she launches her special series “The Big Picture”. In this episode, she breaks down the key ingredients of Self-Optimization. Tune in to find out why and how to rethink problems, question one’s own methods, evaluate outcomes every step of the way and finally, willingly and readily change one’s approach to reach one’s own best version.About Host, Sucheta KamathSucheta Kamath, is an award-winning speech-language pathologist, a TEDx speaker, a celebrated community leader, and the founder and CEO of ExQ®. As an EdTech entrepreneur, Sucheta has designed ExQ's personalized digital learning curriculum/tool that empowers middle and high school students to develop self-awareness and strategic thinking skills through the mastery of Executive Function and social-emotional competence.Support the show

Send us a textOver the last several decades, the public’s understanding of a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and the cognitive, behavioral, and emotional sequelae of the same has undergone radical transformation. There is ample evidence that supports the fact that rehabilitation is a critical part of the road to recovery and making treatment functional can be done successfully by a bridge into the community where the TBI survivor hopes to thrive. However, what’s still missing is the society’s lack of awareness of the needs of those who have sustained a TBI and are experiencing life-altering consequences.On this episode, the Senior Health Scientist on the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Team at the Center for Disease Control (CDC), Juliet Haarbauer-Krupa, PhD, returns to discuss the therapeutic consideration to successfully manage a TBI. This episode offers an expanded view on how to accentuate the lifestyle change in the form of skill building, use of compensatory strategies, and family support to build the person's hope back.About Julie Haarbauer-Krupa, Ph.D.Juliet Haarbauer-Krupa, PhD, is a Senior Health Scientist on the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Team in the Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention (DUIP) at the Injury Center. As a behavioral scientist, her role on the TBI team is to devise research projects and products to better understand trends in TBI in the U.S., and to improve health outcomes for individuals living with a TBI. She is project lead on the Report to Congress, the Management of Traumatic Brain Injury in Children, and the Return to School Projects in the division. Recent publications include: a report on life expectancy and unemployment outcomes for moderate to severe TBI; PTSD in mild TBI; point of healthcare entry for children with concussions; talking to young children about concussions; and service delivery systems for children with TBI.Dr. Haarbauer-Krupa has 30 years of experience and has authored over 20 publications and presentations in the area of TBI with specialties in rehabilitation and pediatric populations. She previously served as a faculty member at The University of Pittsburgh, George Washington University, and Georgia State University, and currently holds an adjunct position in the Department of Pediatrics at Emory University’s School of Medicine.WebsitesCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov)Brain Injury Association of America (www.biausa.org)North American Brain Injury Society (www.nabis.org)Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (www.dvbic.org)National Association of State Head Injury Administrators (www.nashia.org)National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research, NICHD, NIH(https://www.nichd.nih.gov/about/org/ncmrr/Pages/overview.aspx)National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/nidrr)About Host, Sucheta KamathSucheta Kamath, is an award-winning speech-language pathologist, a TEDx speaker, a celebrated community leader, and the founder and CEO of ExQ®. As an EdTech entrepreneur, Sucheta has designed ExQ's personalized digital learning curriculum/tool that empowers middle and high school students to develop self-Support the show

Send us a textWhat hazard could really be posed by daily activities like driving, biking, climbing, or walking?  They don’t, until they do. An awkward step, a sudden turn, an unanticipated slip or a fall can alter the direction in which one’s life is going. The Brain Injury Association of America reports that at least 2.5 million people encounter a traumatic brain injury each year. For some, the recovery may be quick and simple, while for others, it may be a life that has no semblance of normalcy.Since one in every 60 people in the U.S. lives with a disability that is a result of traumatic brain injury, it is critical that we understand how to identify, diagnose, and manage them. On this episode, Dr. Julie Haabauer-Krupa from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), will discuss how traumatic brain injury impacts attention, memory, speech, communication, movement, coordination, decision making, and executive function. This is an invitation to create communities that thrive by engaging in discussions to raise awareness on the long-standing impact of TBI on individuals, family members, caretakers, and society.About Julie Haarbauer-Krupa, Ph.D.Juliet Haarbauer-Krupa, PhD, is a Senior Health Scientist on the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Team in the Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention (DUIP) at the Injury Center. As a behavioral scientist, her role on the TBI team is to devise research projects and products to better understand trends in TBI in the U.S., and to improve health outcomes for individuals living with a TBI. She is project lead on the Report to Congress, the Management of Traumatic Brain Injury in Children, and the Return to School Projects in the division. Recent publications include: a report on life expectancy and unemployment outcomes for moderate to severe TBI; PTSD in mild TBI; point of healthcare entry for children with concussions; talking to young children about concussions; and service delivery systems for children with TBI.Dr. Haarbauer-Krupa has 30 years of experience and has authored over 20 publications and presentations in the area of TBI with specialties in rehabilitation and pediatric populations. She previously served as a faculty member at The University of Pittsburgh, George Washington University, and Georgia State University, and currently holds an adjunct position in the Department of Pediatrics at Emory University’s School of Medicine.WebsitesCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov)Brain Injury Association of America (www.biausa.org)North American Brain Injury Society (www.nabis.org)Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (www.dvbic.org)National Association of State Head Injury Administrators (www.nashia.org)National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research, NICHD, NIH(https://www.nichd.nih.gov/about/org/ncmrr/Pages/overview.aspx)National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/nidrr)About Host, Sucheta KamathSucheta Kamath, is an award-winning speech-language pathologist, a TEDx speaker, a celebrated community leader, and the founder and CEO of ExQ®. As an EdTech entrepreneur, Sucheta has designed ExQ's personalized digital lSupport the show

Send us a textAbility, inability, and disability rest on a continuum where the human story comes to life. Living with a disability; whether it is a physical, mental, or a learning disability is life-long work and having able partners can make the journey pleasant. But, the able partner is not just someone without a disability, but one who is willing to embrace the unique human experience with authenticity and inclusivity.On this episode, our guest Dan Habib, an award-winning documentary film maker, an activist/advocate, a past-member of the Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities (appointed by President Obama) and a father who sought inclusive education for Samuel, his son with cerebral palsy with full well-knowledge that these encounters are mutually transformative. A key element of Executive Function is the capacity to think flexibly, shift perspectives and change one’s mind by broadening the world view. Today’s conversation, invites listeners to reconsider how we conceptualize, verbalize and process the idea of “normal”.About Dan HabibDan Habib is the creator of the award-winning documentary films Including Samuel, Who Cares About Kelsey?, Mr. Connolly Has ALS and many other films on disability-related topics.  Habib is a filmmaker at the University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability.He has recently released his new documentary, Intelligent Lives, which examines our society’s narrow perceptions of intelligence. The Intelligent Lives project also contains four short films focusing on effective practices in transition for youth with disabilities from high school to higher education and employment.Habib received the Champion of Human and Civil Rights Award from the National Education Association, and the Justice for All Grassroots Award from the American Association of People with Disabilities.  In 2014, Habib was appointed by President Barack Obama to the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities.Habib and his wife, Betsy, live in Concord, NH, with their sons Isaiah, 22, and Samuel, 19.WebsiteIntelligentLives.orgIncludingSamuel.comWhoCaresAboutKelsey.comAbout Host, Sucheta KamathSucheta Kamath, is an award-winning speech-language pathologist, a TEDx speaker, a celebrated community leader, and the founder and CEO of ExQ®. As an EdTech entrepreneur, Sucheta has designed ExQ's personalized digital learning curriculum/tool that empowers middle and high school students to develop self-awareness and strategic thinking skills through the mastery of Executive Function and social-emotional competence.Support the show

Send us a textGerald Belcher once said, “The best education is not given to students; it is drawn out of them.” It captures the notion that learning and teaching are intertwined and this relationship deepens when educators keep inventing new ways to inspire kids, help make creative connections, and allow their passion to come through.In these moments, there’s nothing higher than the human spirit as a child succeeds in learning.On this episode, our guest a neuroscientist, author, blogger, and a frequent contributor to Psychology Today, William Klemm, Ph.D. returns to speak on brining learning strategies into classroom teaching.About Professor W.R. KlemmDr. W. R. (Bill) Klemm is a Professor of Neuroscience at Texas A&M University who has studied basic and applied research on learning and memory and has published 20 books, many of them for lay audiences. He provides teachers with lectures and workshops on teaching learning skills. He has over 2.5 million reader views of his posts on learning and memory at Psychology Today, and his blog (thankyoubrain.blogspot.com).Websitehttp://thankyoubrain.com/BooksMemory Power 101: A Comprehensive Guide to Better Learning for Students, Businesspeople, and Seniors Better Grades. Less EffortThe Learning Skills CycleMental Biology: The New Science of How the Brain and Mind Relate About Host, Sucheta KamathSucheta Kamath, is an award-winning speech-language pathologist, a TEDx speaker, a celebrated community leader, and the founder and CEO of ExQ®. As an EdTech entrepreneur, Sucheta has designed ExQ's personalized digital learning curriculum/tool that empowers middle and high school students to develop self-awareness and strategic thinking skills through the mastery of Executive Function and social-emotional competence.Support the show

Send us a textRajveer Meena from India successfully recalled 70,000 decimal places of pi (π) and broke the previous Guinness World Record of reciting 67,890 digits of pi held by Lu Chao of China since 2005. By reading about such a feat of accomplishment, you can easily see the giant rift between "memory athletes" and ordinary citizens. However, memory is more of a skill than a gift which means everyone is capable of such an "athletic" feat.On this episode, our guest, a neuroscientist, author, blogger, and a frequent contributor to Psychology Today, William Klemm, Ph.D., speaks on the topic of memory, memory structure, and the relationship between memory, learning, and Executive Function.About Professor W.R. KlemmDr. W. R. (Bill) Klemm is a Professor of Neuroscience at Texas A&M University who has studied basic and applied research on learning and memory and has published 20 books, many of them for lay audiences. He provides teachers with lectures and workshops on teaching learning skills. He has over 2.5 million reader views of his posts on learning and memory at Psychology Today, and his blog (thankyoubrain.blogspot.com).Websitehttp://thankyoubrain.com/BooksMemory Power 101: A Comprehensive Guide to Better Learning for Students, Businesspeople, and Seniors Better Grades. Less EffortThe Learning Skills CycleMental Biology: The New Science of How the Brain and Mind Relate About Host, Sucheta KamathSucheta Kamath, is an award-winning speech-language pathologist, a TEDx speaker, a celebrated community leader, and the founder and CEO of ExQ®. As an EdTech entrepreneur, Sucheta has designed ExQ's personalized digital learning curriculum/tool that empowers middle and high school students to develop self-awareness and strategic thinking skills through the mastery of Executive Function and social-emotional competence.Support the show

Send us a textThe hopeful expectation of living into old age is often marred by the fear of the irreversible decline in one’s abilities and mental faculties. When it comes to Alzheimer’s disease, the scientific community, professionals and society in general is dedicated to pursuing a three-pronged approach: find ways to irradiate the disease, delay the onset of the disease, and finally, figure out the most effective and comfort-centered approach to care-giving.Since brain imaging studies reveal that the damage to the brain begins decades prior to the symptoms ever starting to interfere with daily functions, on this episode our guest, Kenneth S. Kosik, M.A. M.D., returns to discuss ways to envision the vitality of the neural landscape to build a better brain and elevate well-being, a sure way to reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Kosik is a Harriman Professor and Co-Director of the Neuroscience Research Institute at UCSB, and is a highly celebrated award-winning research scientist who has coauthored a book called Outsmarting Alzheimer’s Disease: What You Can Do To Reduce Your Risk.About Dr. Kenneth S. KosikKenneth S. Kosik, M.A. M.D. served as professor at the Harvard Medical School from 1996-2004 when he became the Harriman Professor and Co-Director of the Neuroscience Research Institute at UCSB. His awards include Whitaker Health Sciences Award (MIT), Milton Foundation Award (Harvard Medical School), Moore Award (American Association of Neuropathologists), Metropolitan Life Award, Derek Denny-Brown Award (American Neurological Association), Zenith and Temple Awards (Alzheimer’s Association), Ranwell Caputo Medal (Argentine Society of Neurochemistry), NASA Group Achievement Award to Neurolab Team, the Premio Aventis (Academia Nacional de Medicina, Colombia), a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and Santa Barbara Innovation Star Award.  He co-authored Outsmarting Alzheimer’s Disease and The Alzheimer’s Solution: How Today’s Care is Failing Millions and How We Can Do Better. His work, including the characterization in Colombia of the largest family in the world with familial Alzheimer’s has appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, New Yorker, BBC, CNN, PBS and CBS 60 Minutes. His 2016 UCSB commencement address was archived at the Graduation Wisdom Best Commencement Speeches web site.Websitehttps://labs.mcdb.ucsb.edu/kosik/kenneth/BooksThe Alzheimer’s Solution: How Today’s Care Is Failing Millions and How We Can Do BetterOutsmarting Alzheimer’s: What You Can Do to Reduce Your RiskAbout Host, Sucheta KamathSucheta Kamath, is an award-winning speech-language pathologist, a TEDx speaker, a celebrated community leader, and the founder and CEO of ExQ®. As an EdTech entrepreneur, Sucheta has designed ExQ's personalized digital learning curriculum/tool that empowers middle and high school students to develop self-awareness and strategic thinking skills through the mastery of Executive Function and social-emotional competence.Support the show

Send us a textEven while leading a healthy mental and physical life, no one can be certain about the aging brain’s destiny. The stage of life marked by walkers, hearing aids, and memory lapses is averted by a few, but dreaded by all. Since Alzheimer’s Disease is one of the three leading causes of death in the elderly population, how to keep performing at the top of one’s game, even in old age, is of interest to many.On this episode, our guest, a Harriman Professor and Co-Director of the Neuroscience Research Institute at UCSB, and highly celebrated, award-winning research scientist, Kenneth S. Kosik, M.A. M.D., will speak on the topic of Alzheimer’s, aging, and age-related changes. Since age-related cognitive decline goes beyond just remembering and forgetting, it’s important to understand how it all relates to Executive Function and self-sufficiency.About Dr. Kenneth S. KosikKenneth S. Kosik, M.A. M.D. served as professor at the Harvard Medical School from 1996-2004 when he became the Harriman Professor and Co-Director of the Neuroscience Research Institute at UCSB. His awards include Whitaker Health Sciences Award (MIT), Milton Foundation Award (Harvard Medical School), Moore Award (American Association of Neuropathologists), Metropolitan Life Award, Derek Denny-Brown Award (American Neurological Association), Zenith and Temple Awards (Alzheimer’s Association), Ranwell Caputo Medal (Argentine Society of Neurochemistry), NASA Group Achievement Award to Neurolab Team, the Premio Aventis (Academia Nacional de Medicina, Colombia), a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and Santa Barbara Innovation Star Award.  He co-authored Outsmarting Alzheimer’s Disease and The Alzheimer’s Solution: How Today’s Care is Failing Millions and How We Can Do Better. His work, including the characterization in Colombia of the largest family in the world with familial Alzheimer’s has appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, New Yorker, BBC, CNN, PBS and CBS 60 Minutes. His 2016 UCSB commencement address was archived at the Graduation Wisdom Best Commencement Speeches web site.Websitehttps://labs.mcdb.ucsb.edu/kosik/kenneth/BooksThe Alzheimer’s Solution: How Today’s Care Is Failing Millions and How We Can Do BetterOutsmarting Alzheimer’s: What You Can Do to Reduce Your RiskAbout Host, Sucheta KamathSucheta Kamath, is an award-winning speech-language pathologist, a TEDx speaker, a celebrated community leader, and the founder and CEO of ExQ®. As an EdTech entrepreneur, Sucheta has designed ExQ's personalized digital learning curriculum/tool that empowers middle and high school students to develop self-awareness and strategic thinking skills through the mastery of Executive Function and social-emotional competence.Support the show

Send us a textThere’s no guarantee you will step on a treadmill right after stepping off a  scale with disappointing number. Goals clash with fears and anxieties resulting in procrastination, which is a common place phenomenon. But by connecting to values and committing to actions, we can treat daily tasks like a workout rather than a race to finish.On this episode, our guest a professor of psychology, award winning teacher, successful author and a prolific podcaster, Dr. Tim Pychyl, returns to explore strategies for overcoming procrastination and manage emotional reluctance to take on important tasks that have become undesirable. Essentially, by learning ways to overcome procrastination, we can master executive dysfunction and avert frequent encounters with existential crises.About Tim Pychyl, Ph.D.Dr. Tim Pychyl is the Director of the Centre for Initiatives in Education and Associate Professor of Psychology at Carleton University, Ottawa. Tim has developed an international reputation for his research on procrastination. In addition to journal articles summarizing his research with his students, Tim has co-edited two books, the most recent of which is Procrastination, Health and Well-Being (2016, Elsevier). He is also author of Solving the Procrastination Puzzle: A Concise Guide to Strategies for Change (2013, Tarcher/Penguin). You can learn more about his research and access his Psychology Today blog or his iProcrastinate podcast at procrastination.ca.Tim’s research is complemented by his passion for teaching for which he has won numerous awards including the 3M National Teaching Fellowship, Ontario Confederation of University Associations Teaching Award and University Medal for Distinguished Teaching. Tim has been an invited speaker across the country working with professors in universities and colleges to enhance teaching and learning.Websiteprocrastination.caBooksProcrastination, Health and Well-BeingSolving the Procrastination Puzzle: A Concise Guide to Strategies for ChangeAbout Host, Sucheta KamathSucheta Kamath, is an award-winning speech-language pathologist, a TEDx speaker, a celebrated community leader, and the founder and CEO of ExQ®. As an EdTech entrepreneur, Sucheta has designed ExQ's personalized digital learning curriculum/tool that empowers middle and high school students to develop self-awareness and strategic thinking skills through the mastery of Executive Function and social-emotional competence.Support the show